Reed relay construction



Feb. 7, 1967 P. E. MOKEQN ETAL 3,303,442

REED RELAY CONSTRUCTION 2 SheetsSheet 1 Filed Nov. 26, 1965 xiii 23INVENTORS Feb. 7, 1967 F. E. M KEON ETAL REED RELAY CONSTRUCTION FiledNov. 26, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 4

i 3 s P 65 6| FIG.5

INVENTORS PATRICK E. MC KEON B./}OBINSO N/ K L 7/ L,

United States Patent 3,303,442 REED RELAY CONSTRUCTION Patrick E.McKeon, Chicago, and Leigh B. Robinson, Western Springs, 111., assignorsto Automatic Electric Laboratories, Inc., Northlake, 11L, a corporationof Delaware Filed Nov. 26, 1965, Ser. No. 509,790 4 Claims. (61.335-153) This invention relates to relays and more particularly to reedrelays of the type having a magnetic core inside a coil wound bobbin andreed switches located externally of the bobbin. A relay of this type isshown in US. Patent 3,188,424.

It is an object of this invention to provide a new and improved reedrelay of greatly simplified design.

Another object of this invention is to provide a relay of the abovementioned type which is easy to fabricate and requires a minimum of timeto assemble.

This invention features a relay having magnetic cores each with twoend-to-end sections which: provide a low reluctance magnetic path forthe relay and thereby render the relay magnetically highly efiicient,act as terminals for the electrical connection of the reed switches ofthe relay, and may also provide mounting support for the reed switchesof the relay.

Other objects and features of the present invention will become moreapparent by reference to the following description taken in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawings of which:

FIG. 1 is a side, sectioned view of one embodiment of a reed relayaccording to the invention. 7

F IG. 2 is an end view of the relay of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is atop view of the relay of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a side, sectioned view of another embodiment of a reed relayaccording to the invention.

FIG. 5 is an end view of the relay of FIG. 4.

The particular embodiments of the relay as will be describe-d herein,have been designed for use in a crosspoint matrix of an electronictelephone exchange. However, the relay is not limited to suchapplication.

FIGS. 1-3 show a reed relay according to the invention which is madeparticularly for use with printed circuit boards. As can be seen, coressuch as 10, which are electrically and magnetically insulated from eachother, each comprise two sections, such as 11, 12 which are insertedinto the opposite ends of bobbin 13 of relay 40. Core sections 11, 12are electrically insulated from one another due to an air gap such as 14between them near the center of bobbin 13. A plurality of reed capsules,such as 15, are mounted externally of coil 16 which is wound aboutbobbin 13 of relay 4t). As will be noted from FIG. 2 of the drawings,each reed capsule is associated with a corresponding two-sectioned core.Each reed capsule has located therein a pair of reeds, such as 17, 18,the free ends of which are mounted in guides, such as 19, in bobbin 13,shown best in FIG. 2. In turn, the free ends of the reed capsules areconnected to their corresponding core sections at shoulder portions suchas 20. 21.

The reed members are preferably welded or soldered to the last mentionedshoulder portions.

The free ends of core sections 11, 12 comprise terminals such as 22, 23respectively, for plugging relay 40 into printed circuit board 24.Plug-in coil terminals such as 25, which are embedded in bobbin 13 whichis made preferably of a plastic material are also provided.

Referring now to FIGS. 4 and 5 of the drawings, there is shown anembodiment of a relay according to the invention which may be panelmounted or mounted on a printed circuit board. The relay is shown bothways for purposes of illustration.

3,303,442 :Palten'ted Feb. 7, 1967 This embodiment of the relay alsocomprises a plurality of cores, such as 50 which have two-sections 51,52. Each of these sections is inserted from opposite ends of relaybobbin 53 with an air gap 54 therebetween to electrically insulate thesections 51, 52 from one another.

.Here too, the cores such as 50, are both electrically and magneticallyinsulated from each other.

This embodiment 70 of the relay also has a plurality of reed capsules,such as 55 mounted externally of the relay coil 56. Because thisembodiment is made primarily for mounting on a panel, such as 57, bobbin53 has been elongated at its ends such as 58, where lugs such as 59 havebeen formed to enable relay 70 to be snapped into an aperture 66 inpanel 57. The relay shown has lugs such as 59 integrally molded withbobbin 53, however, this does not preclude the use of auxiliary snap onlugs which may be fitted to bobbin 53.

When relay 70 is used as a panel mounted relay, terminals 60, 61 are ofthe wire wrap type.

Relay 70, as shown in FIG. 4, as mentioned above also, may be pluggedinto a printed circuit board 62. This requires terminals 60, 61 to be ofthe plug-in type.

However, because this embodiment of the relay is primarily for panelmounting, when it is used for printed circuit board mounting, the reedcapsules arelocated between the coil and the printed circuit board. Asin relay 40 of FIGS. l-3, each reed capsule is attached at the free endsof its reed members, such as 63, 64 to shoulder portions 67, 68 of coresections 51, 52 respectively. Terminals such as 65, are also provided astermination points for coil 56.

A more detailed description as to the manner in which the relayaccording to the invention functions will now be given.

Referring to the embodiment of the relay of FIGS. 13, for example, uponenergization of coil 16, a magnetic field is produced to operate thereed members 17, 18, in reed switches such as 15. As stated before, eachreed switch has associated with it a corresponding core 10. Therefore,each reed switch and core provides a separate magnetic path which themagnetic field traverses to operate the corresponding reed switch.

Because this path a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, is primarily of magneticmaterial, e.g., core sections 11, 12, reed members 17, 18 and small airgaps 14, 26, it is of low reluctance. Consequently, the relay accordingto the invention operates more etficiently with less ampere-turns beingneeded in the relay coil. This aids too in being able to make the relayphysically smaller.

Cores 10, serve a second purpose. This is to provide terminals such as22, 23, for the electrical connection of the reed members of each reedswitch. As will be noted in FIG. 1 of the drawings, electrical pathssuch as a, b, 2 and f, e, y are provided by core sections such as 11,12.

A third purpose of core sections 11, 12, is to provide a mounting placefor the reed switches such as 15. This is provided by shoulder portionssuch as 20, 21 where the free ends of reed members 17, 18 are connected.In the embodiment of the relay shown in FIGS. l-3 shoulder portions 20,21, in addition to providing a connecting place, aid guides 19 in therelay bobbin in supporting the reed switches.

Because the reed switches are connected to the shoulder portions in themanner mentioned above, a minimum amount of stress is applied to thereed members when electrical connections are being made to the terminalsat the end of the core sections.

In addition to the above-mentioned features, both embodiments of therelay according to the invention, e.g., relay 40 of FIGS. l-3, when itis plugged into a printed circuit board, and relay 70 of FIGS. 4, 5 whenit is panel done in less time than it would take to assemble comparableprior art reed relays.

For example, since no separate terminals are needed to electricallyconnect'up the reed switches of the relay, assembly timewhich Was usedto imbed these separate terminals into the bobbin of the relay, and tostrap the free ends of the reed members to these terminals iseliminated. Also, fewer kinds of parts are needed for the relayaccording to the invention, thus, fabrication costs can be reduced.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes andmodifications may be made without departing from this invention in itsbroadest aspects and therefore the aim in the appended claims is tocover allsuch changes and modifications as in the true spirit and scopeof this invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A reed relay comprising:

a coil wound bobbin;

at least one core of magnetic material, each said core comprising twosections each having within said bobbin a main portion and outside ofsaid bobbin a teri minal portion and a shoulder portion intermediatesaid main portion and said terminal portion, said main portions of thetwo sections being mutually.

aligned longitudinally in end to end relationship but electricallyinsulated from each other, and said shoulder portions extending in adirection parallel to said main portions while said terminal portionsextend in a direction perpendicular to said main portions and shoulderportions; and

at least one reed switch comprising an elongated capsule of insulatingmaterial, having a pair of reed shoulder portion of the correspondingcore sections;

2. A reed relay as claimed in claim 1 wherein the ends of said terminalportions are formed to provide plug-in connections to a printed circuitboard.

3. A reed relay as claimed in claim 1 wherein theshoulder portions ofsaid core sections are U-shaped and wherein said terminals areelectrically connected to and mechanically supported by said shoulderportions at the base of said U.

4. A reed relay as claimed in claim 1 wherein the shoulder portions ofsaid core sections are S-shaped and said terminals are electricallyconnected to and mechanically supported by said shoulder portions at thecenter section of said S, wherein said bobbin includes integrally moldedtherewith lugs for snapping said relay 'into a mounting frame, andwherein said terminal portions are of the type upon which wire may bewrapped.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,167,693 1/1965Hayward 200-87 X 3,188,424 6/1965 Else et al. 20087 X 3,211,857 10/1965Van Cortlandt 200-93 OTHER REFERENCES Bolan, P. 8.: IBM TechnicalDisclosure Bulletin, Multiple Reed Switch, vol. 4, No. 7, p. 37.

' BERNARD A. G-ILHEANY, Primary Examiner.

J. BAKER, Assistant Examiner.

1. A REED RELAY COMPRISING: A COIL WOUND BOBBIN; AT LEAST ONE CORE OFMAGNETIC MATERIAL, EACH SAID CORE COMPRISING TWO SECTIONS EACH HAVINGWITHIN SAID BOBBIN A MAIN PORTION AND OUTSIDE OF SID BOBBIN A TERMINALPORTION AND A SHOULDER PORTION INTERMEDIATE SAID MAIN PORTION AND SAIDTERMINAL PORTION, SAID MAIN PORTIONS OF THE TWO SECTIONS BEING MUTUALLYALIGNED LONGITUDINALLY IN END TO END RELATIONSHIP BUT ELECTRICALLYINSULATED FROM EACH OTHER, AND SAID SHOULDER PORTIONS EXTENDING IN ADIRECTION PARALLEL TO SAID MAIN PORTIONS WHILE SAID TERMINAL PORTIONSEXTEND IN A DIRECTION PERPENDICULAR TO SAID MAIN PORTIONS AND SHOULDERPORTIONS; AND AT LEAST ONE REED SWITCH COMPRISING AN ELONGATED CAPSULEOF INSULATING MATERIAL, HAVING A PAIR OF REED MEMBERS THEREIN, EACH OFSAID REED MEMBERS EXTENDING OUTWARDLY, ALONG THE AXIS OF, AND FROM THEOPPOSITE ENDS OF, SAID CAPSULE TO FORM TERMINALS, SAID REED SWITCHDISPOSED EXTERNALLY AND PARALLEL TO THE LENGTH OF SAID BOBBIN, SAIDTERMINALS EACH BEING MECHANICCALLY SUPPORTED BY AND ELECTRICALLYCONNECTED TO THE SHOULDER PORTION OF THE CORRESPONDING CORE SECTIONS.